Dating Men, Relationship with Men, Friends, Activity Partners

Jan 2004

london

http://profiles.friendster.com/5002093

news reporter, mad woman

mark darcy... vodka, self- help books and cigs...

self help books

definitely not fatal attraction...

sad tragic fm for the over thirties

set up britain...

Whether the feature film version of "Bridget Jones's Diary"
-- that exalted, best-selling ode to 30-something single
gals -- properly captures the oversized pajamas-and-Haagen
Dazs essence of "singleton" romantic vexation, I cannot say.

I am male and I haven't read the book, and either one of
these facts excludes me from being a bona fide member of the
cult following that has built up around this lovelorn
English Everywoman. Everything I know about Bridget's
struggles with smoking, men and her weight I have gleaned
from friends' enthusiastic reviews of the two Helen Fielding
novels, which I'm told are written as diary entries in the
heroine's first-person short-hand. (I hear both books are
v., v. good.)

But I do consider myself something of an expert on (and an
unabashed fan of) winsome romantic comedies, and on that
front, I'd have to say this movie is a winner.

As brought to life by Renee Zellweger (in a convincing
English accent), Bridget Jones is the consummate modern
amour-neurotic. Always looking for love, sometimes willing
to settle for sex, and forever psychoanalyzing (and
second-guessing) herself, she's just as adorable and
endearing as the coy young mom Zellweger played in "Jerry
Maguire," but with several more tarnished years of romantic
disappointment weighing on her attitude.

"It all began on New Year's Day in my 32nd year of being
single," she says sardonically in what is to become the
running internal monologue that ties the events in the movie
to the entries in her journal. (Sometimes, to illustrate a
point, notes in her diary are scribbled over the action on
the screen as well.)

The story largely concerns Bridget suddenly going from
miserably manless (in a hilarious early scene she gets drunk
alone at home and sings along to Jamie O'Neal's "All By
Myself") to having two suitors -- a situation she simply
doesn't know what to do with.

One of them is Daniel (a delightfully roguish Hugh Grant),
her boss at a publishing firm and a total cad. But that
doesn't stop her from making a fool of herself by flirting
and -- against her better judgement -- going to bed with
him. Pretty soon she's decided she'd best change careers,
logging for the record "am suddenly a hard-headed
journalist" after getting a fluffy job in television that is
full of its own disasters.

The other prospect is Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth, an
actor Bridget has a mad crush on in the book), a bitterly
serious barrister, recently divorced, who seems to choke on
his attempts to be sociable. But he really makes an effort
with Bridget, who pretty much wants nothing to do with him
even though she is hardly one to judge a person for letting
nervousness get the best of him. But she warms to him after
he helps her career by granting her an exclusive interview
in one of his high-profile court cases.

Both sexual ecstasy and abject misery are in store, of
course, and it isn't long before Bridget is literally
sneaking up on her answering machine, as if hoping to catch
messages by surprise before they run away and hide. It's
just such nuances in her performance that help Zellweger so
vividly personify this beloved character. She pouts and
puffs, she frets and blushes, sometimes her heart takes over
her motor mouth, but she's always full of determination.
Zellweger gives this Bridget Jones an absolutely empathetic
familiarity that makes the movie feel like an entertaining
anthem for the frustratingly forlorn.

As directed by feature rookie Sharon Maguire (a TV and
documentary vet who is pals with the author), the atmosphere
of "Bridget Jones's Diary" does feel a bit too much like it
was cast from a mold provided by producers Tim Bevan and
Eric Fellner ("Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting
Hill"). But Maguire knows enough to follow her heroine's
heart to find the movie's unique voice.

It's an ambrosial voice that comes from a recipe comprised
of Bridget's running internal commentary, her authentic,
personality-defining foibles, her wicked wit that seems to
abandon her when she most needs it -- and from the fact that
Zellweger gained 30 pounds to give her performance the
cellulite authenticity Bridget's fans would demand.

While "Bridget Jones" may not be a romantic comedy classic,
it's definitely got the goods to be a major hit.

no american stick insects in manner of gwyneth paltrow!